Tobacco harvesting machine



Jan. 20,1970 RT ET AL 3,490,200

TOBACCO HARVESTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 23, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS KENNETH C. [BERT B3! 30HN w. MQG-UIRE Awwma) Jan. 20, 1970 Filed Feb. 23, 1968 K. c. EBERT ET AL 3,490,200

TOBACCO HARVESTING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS KENNETH CEBERT B? TOWN W.MAGUIRE Jan. 20, 1970 K. c. EBERT ET AL 3,490,200

TOBACCO HARVESTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 23, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORs KENNETH c. EBERT BY Tomv MMAGWRE United States Patent f 3,490,200 TOBACCO HARVESTING MACHINE Kenneth C. Ebert, Box 728, New Liskeard, Ontario,

Canada, and John W. Maguire, RR. 2, Glen Mey r,

Ontario, Canada Filed Feb. 23, 1968, Ser. No. 707,705 Int. Cl. B65b 67/00; B65g 17/32; B60p 1/64 U.S. Cl. 53-391 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A vehicle to be used by printers in harvesting tobacco leaves, the vehicle being constructed to straddle at least two rows of tobacco plants without injury to the plants. The vehicle is provided with a seating arrangement (picking station) for at least two primers on each side at a convenient elevation for the primers.

A conveyor system s provided for each primer whereby the picked tobacco leaves are elevated to a transfer station where the leaves are packed into a transfer container. The transfer container is mounted on a lift-device by means of which it can be lowered to ground level and raised therefrom to the transfer station.

The loaded transfer container can be removed from the lift-device and replaced by an empty container. When removed the loaded container can be transported to the place where the leaves will be unloaded.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION It has been the practice, with most types of mechanical harvesters, for the tobacco to be manually picked by workers known as primers who assemble the primed tobacco leaves in bundles with their stem ends together. After picking, some mechanical harvesters are adapted to grip the leaf stems for delivery of the bundles to an operator for tying. Others are adapted to loop or tie the bundles automatically and to deliver the tied bundles to an' operator for draping or handling on drying sticks which are subsequently transferred to the drying barn. By such practice, the harvested tobacco is subjected to considerable mechanical handling and handling by field workers concerned primarily with the harvesting and temporary storage of the tobacco leaf. As a consequence, damage to the tobacco leaf is high.

Tobacco harvesters such as previously described are illustrated in the following Canadian Patents: No. 631,221, dated Nov. 21, 1961 (filed in Canada July 8, 1955 and in the U.S. July 8, 1954); No. 652,987, dated Nov. 27, 1962 (filed Sept. 15, 1959); No. 654,948, dated Jan. 1, 1963 (filed Sept. 15, 1954) and No. 711,870, dated June 22, 1965 (filed Sept. 22, 1962 and in the U.S. Sept. 22, 1961). Each one of these patents are subjpect to considerable handling, both manual and mechanical, with the consequent hazard of damage to the leaves. Furthermore, the harvesters are complex and thus expensive to manufacture and operate.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION We have found that these and other disadvantages can be overcome by providing a vehicle for use in the harvesting of a field crop, including conveyor means comprising at least one conveyor extending between a picking station and a transfer station, characterized by at least one selectively movable receptacle carried by the conveyor means and adapted, in the case of tobacco, to receive picked leaves in a fiat condition at the picking station for delivery to the transfer station, a removable transfer containersupported on said vehicle and positioned adjacent to the transfer station to receive leaves therefrom for deposit in a flat condition in said container, and lift means whereby said container is moved between said position adjacent to the transfer station and the ground. Such an apparatus permits the leaves to be handled flat and provides for the collection and temporary storage of the leaves with a minimum of manual and mechanical handling, thereby lessening the risk of damage. Such improvement also provides for greater manual efiiciency with a resultant improvement in output per primer.

The construction and use of the present machine will be described in conjunction with the harvesting of tobacco but it be obvious that the machine can be readily adapted for use-in hand picking other crops. Consequently, it is to be understood that in describing its use, construction and operation, as applied to harvesting tobacco leafs, this is being done by way of illustration and not by way of limitation.

The objects and advantages of the present invention, and the construction and operation thereof, are herein described with reference to an embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the vehicle with the container thereof in the unloading position;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the vehicle with the container in the loading position;

FIG. 3 is an end elevation of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a vertical section through conveyor means of the vehicle with receptacles thereon shown in the loading and unloading positions;

FIG. 5 is a vertical section of the conveyor means of FIG. 4 with receptacles positioned between the loading and unloading positions;

FIG. 6 is a front elevation of the lower portion of the conveyor of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 7 is a section on the line 7-7 of FIG. 4.

The agricultural vehicle of this embodiment comprises a mobile frame 1 adapted to be guided between rows of tobacco plants 2. The frame 1 is mounted on a pair of steerable front wheels 4 and a pair of rear wheels 5. Each pair of wheels 4 and 5 is adapted to straddle two rows of tobacco plants 2 as shown in FIG. 3. The frame 1 includes a platform 6 supported above the level of the tobacco plants. In the present embodiment, the platform 6 provides for an engine, transmission, and steering mechanism, generally indicated at 8, by which the front wheels 4 are steered and driven. Provision is made to carry four harvesters on the vehicle, on seats 10 supported below the platform 6. The harvesters are carried along the rows of tobacco plants 2 within easy reach of the plants at a convenient level for priming. Two seats 10 are provided on each side of the vehicle in line with each set of tandem wheels 4 and 5. In the vehicle of this embodiment, the seats 10 are arranged to permit each of the harvesters to pick a different row of tobacco plants 2.

A conveyor 12 is provided adjacent to each seated harvester and is supported in side frame members 13 on the frame 1. Three receptacles 14a, 14b and are mounted on each conveyor 12, one receptacle being stationed at a convenient level for receiving the picked leaves when another of the receptacles is stationed above the level of the platform 6, at a convenient level for unloading by an operator on the platform 6.

Each conveyor 12 comprises a complementary pair of endless conveyor elements 16, 16 which, in this embodiment, comprises a pair of endless chains entrained over complementary pairs of upper and lower sprockets 17, 17' and 18, 18' respectively, journalled in bearings in the side frame members 13. Each sprocket of a complementary pair of sprockets 17, 17 and 18, 18' is journalled for rotation about a common axis and is spaced apart to permit passage of the receptacles 14 therebetween.

A drive sprocket 19 is provided to drive each endless chain 16, 16. Each of the sprockets 19 is driven from the engine through a power train generally indicated at 21. The endless chains 16, 16' are driven in unison in an anti-clockwise direction as viewed in FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and 5. While each of the conveyors of this embodiment are driven in unison, it will be readily appreciated that the drivers of each of the conveyors can be adapted to operate independently.

Each receptacle includes an end member 22 which forms an inner wall for the receptacle. Each end member 22 is pivotally mounted between the chains 16, 16' on pins 24, 24 which are attached to side flanges 22a of the end member 22. The pins 24, 24 include extensions 24a which serve to space the end member 22 from the chains 16, 16'.

Free running guide rollers 26 are journalled in the side flanges 22a. Two spaced apart rollers 26 are provided on each side of each end member 22 and are guided in tracks 28 which are formed in the side frame members 13 and extend along almost the entire upward and downward runs, 16a and 16b respectively of the chains 16, 16', to prevent the end members 22 from tilting about the pins 24, 24'.

Each receptacle 14 includes a horizontally supported open-wire base element 30 which is pivotally connected to the side flanges 22a of the end member 22 and is adapted to swing up from the horizontal position. Each side of each receptacle includes a pair of pivotally linked members 32 which are pivotally connected between the end member 22 and the outer end of the base element 30 to form therewith a parallelogram which will close as the base element 30 is raised. The top and outer end of each receptacle is open and its open end faces the seated harvester. When a receptacle is supported on the downward run 16b of the chains 16, 16' with its base element horizontal, the outer end of the base element 30 and its associated side members 32 extends between the upward run 16a and the downward run 16b.

FIGURE 5 shows the receptacle 14 at the end of its upward travel and starting down; the receptacle 14b midway of its upward travel and the receptacle 140 just at the point of entering the loading position (see FIGURE 2). During its descent, the base member 30 of the receptacle 14a is engaged by the top end of the end member 22 of the ascending receptacle 141) with the result that the receptacle 14a is collapsed to the condition shown in FIGURE 4 permitting the two receptacles to pass without disturbing the load of the receptacles 14b, 140, when they are ascending.

In operation, one of the receptacles is stationed adjacent to each harvester at a suitable level for receiving the picked leaves, as indicated at 9a, 9b, 9c and 9d, and the harvested leaf is placed flat thereon. When the receptacles are loaded, they are raised by their respective conveyors 12 to a suitable level for unloading by the operator standing on the platform 6 and an empty receptacle is moved into loading position at the picking stations 91:, 9b, 9c and 9d.

The descending receptacle is collapsed Or folded into compact form to pass the full rising receptacle in the following manner with reference to FIGURES 4 and 5. From the drawings it will be seen that each base element is pivotally connected to its respective end member 22, the base member remaining horizontal in its upward travel and part way down the descending portion. Part way down the descending leg, its base element will be engaged by the top end of member 22 of the following ascending receptacle and cause the descending receptacle 14 to collapse. This is shown clearly in FIGURE 4 wherein a descending receptacle 14 is shown collapsed midway between the top and bottom of the conveyor. It is retained in this collapsed condition unitl it reaches the bottom of its downward travel at which point the receptacle reopens.

An open container, or boat 40, is located in a central opening 6a: in the platform 6. The container 40 is adapted to receive the leaves flat therein and is supported on the platform 6, herein referred to as the unloading station. The receptacle 14b in FIGURE 4 is positioned at the unloading station which is sufficiently above the platform 6 to allow a standing person to unload. In FIGURE 5 the three receptacles are shown as moving into the position shown in FIGURE 4. The container 40 is supported by cables 42 which are attached to the sides of the container 40 and are entrained over pulleys 44. The cables are wound over drums 46 which are driven through a transmission 48 from the engine. The container 40 is moved between its raised position, as shown in FIG.2, and its lowered position as shown in FIG. 1, by paying out or winding in on the drums 46. The container 40 is adapted to be disconnected from the cables in the lowered position.

In operation, the leaf crop is unloaded from the receptacles 14b, in their transfer positions 92, 91, 9g, and 9h respectively, and is loaded into the raised container 49 while the vehicle is moved along the rows 2 and the crop is being harvested. The loaded container 40 is lowered to the ground when the vehicle is at the end of a row or is adjacent to the drying barn. The loaded container 40 is disconnected from the cables and an empty container 40 is attached and raised to its loading position above the level of the tobacco plants.

Having now described the invention with reference to a particular embodiment thereof, it is to be understood that it is by way of exemplification and not limitation and may be considerably modified without departing frrom the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

What we claim is:

1. In an agricultural vehicle for use in the manual harvesting of a leaf crop having a picking station at which a picker is stationed adjacent to the crop at a level for picking, a transfer station above the level of the picker and a transfer container at the transfer station for deposit therein of leaves in a fiat condition, power driven mechanical means carrying the harvested leaf crop from the picking station to the transfer station comprising a conveyor extending from the picking station to the transfer station, a plurality of collapsible receptacles carried by the conveyor in spaced :apart relationship and adapted to receive picked leaves in flat condition at the picking station for delivery to the transfer station, each receptacle comprising an end member mounted on said conveyor, an upwardly tiltable horizontal base element pivotally connected to the end member for upward tilting as the receptacle descends from the transfer station to collapse the receptacle to permit it to pass an upwardly-rising receptacle on said conveyor as they pass each other in ascending and descending relationship, means engaging the base of a descending receptacle to eflect the upward tilting and manually actuated switch means for initiating movement of the conveyor whereby the receptacle is moved from the picking station to the transfer station.

2. An apparatus :as claimed in claim 1 wherein the conveyor comprises a drivable endless belt having mounted thereon the receptacles in spaced apart relation whereby when one receptacle is located at the picking station another of the receptacles is located at the transfer station.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein each said conveyor means comprises a pair of spaced endless belts in spaced apart parallel relationship drivable in unison and the receptacles are carried between said conveyor elements in spaced relationship whereby when one receptacle is located at the picking station another of the receptacles is located at the transfer station.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein each receptacle includes means preventing said base element from tipping when moving on the ascending run of the conveyor between the picking station and the transfer station.

5. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1 including guide means comprising spaced-apart rollers mounted at either 3,490,200 5 6 side of said receptacle and complementary guide tracks 3,107,018 10/1963 Mish 21483.1 therefor supported on said vehicle.

ALBERT J. MAKAY, Primary Examiner References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 214 83 198 158 2,420,903 5/1947 Noble 18711 XR 

